The Israel Institute helps universities and scholars meet growing interest about modern Israel through teaching placements, workshops on improving Israel-related courses, course development grants, and opportunities for emerging scholars to study modern Israel. Program information, including eligibility criteria, application due dates, and how to apply, can be found in the program pages below.

As of December 2018, please note that several of our programs have closed and will no longer be offered: Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships, Research Grants Program, Publication Support, and Conferences & Workshops Grants.

Study Modern Israel

The Honors Symposium is a workshop for top university undergraduates interested in the study of modern Israel.

Beyond the Books: Grantee Spotlight

Lior Libman, Ph.D.

2017-2018 Supported Faculty, Binghamton University

Q:

You recently co-taught a class on gender at University College London. Could you describe this class?

A:

I was teaching "Rattling the Gender Agenda: Feminist Issues in Israeli Women's Writings," a course designed by Dr. Tsila Ratner, my co-instructor. The position of women has been the subject of Jewish and Israeli women writers since the emergence of modern Hebrew literature. Although marginalized in the literary canon until the 1980s, women writers have provided sharp critiques and insights into women's lives and the social order that governs them. Israeli feminist critics, like their counterparts elsewhere, expose and question the mechanisms of political/social powers and the way in which they construct gender identities. In Israel, feminists face unique challenges combating gender bias and inequality amidst war threats, heightened militarism, and deepening religiousness. We focused on this nexus of women, nation, and conflict, and also explored the Israeli context of issues such as the position of women in the family, women's coming-of-age narratives, and voices of Orthodox women.

Amb. Zion Evrony, Ph.D.

2017-2018 Visiting Professor, The Catholic University of America

Q:

Could you describe your course on Jewish-Christian relations? How would you characterize Jewish-Christian relations today?

A:

The class I teach is titled "Jewish-Christian Relations." In class, I emphasize the importance of interfaith dialogue, learning about "the other," and religious tolerance. I took students to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum and they attended a Friday night service at the synagogue Ohev Shalom. I also organized a dialogue between a priest and a rabbi.

The relationship today between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church is excellent. It is warm and friendly, maybe the best in 2,000 years. Pope Francis is a great friend of the Jewish people. He has spoken many times against anti-Semitism and has welcomed to the Vatican and met many Jewish groups.